Fireabm



J. B. READ. Muzzle-Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented May 5, 1857 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

JNO. B. READ, OF TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA.

FIREARM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,238, dated May 5, 1857.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN B. READ, of the town and county of Tuscaloosa and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Constructing Firearms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. a

The nature of my invention consists, in providing the upper part of the chamber or powder space of firm arms, with angular or wedge shaped projections, varying in number according to the size of the bore, and running parallel or nearly so with its axis; so that in the act of loading the ball, whether spherical or solid elongated, may rest upon these projections, and being expanded by having them forced into it by a few blows of the ramrod, may completely and accurately fill the bore of the gun, thus saving windage and securing range and accuracy; also, in providing a ball, solid, and conical or conoidal at both extremities, with a cylindrical belt at or near the middle, sufficient to prevent turning in the barrel, with the inner or under part of the rear of the cy lindrical portion slightly excavated, so as to favor the expansion of the ball when forced home by the ramrod upon the projections of the chamber or powder space as well as to alford a thin edge to take into the grooves by the force of the charge.

T 0 enable those skilled in the manufacture of fire arms to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

My invention is applicable to fire arms generally, whether smooth bored or rifled and whether with or without chambers.

Figure 1 represents a pistol barrel with my improvement attached to the upper part of a chambered breech A, which is exhibited by the removal of a section of the barrel. Just above the letter D, are the angular or wedge shaped projections upon which and by which, the ball is to be expanded by blows of the ramrod. Fig. 2, represents a ramrod fitted with a cavity at its end B, for forcing the ball without injuring its shape. Fig. 3, is the ball, cylindrical at or near its middle portion, and conoidal or conical at both extremities; a section being made the small excavation at the rear of the cylindrical portion is shown just above the dotted line, (over the letter C) that would mark the form of the ball when entire.

The mode in which my improvement operates is as follows: The charge being poured into, and ordinarily exactly filling the cylindrical portion of the chamber, the ball fitting easily into the bore and without patching usually, is readily driven home by the ramrod; the conical shaped extremity of the ball C fitting into the trumpet shaped portion of the chamber, secures it in the exact axis of the piece; the ball once in its seat, a few blows of the ramrod force the projections into the rear of the projectile, and so expand it as to fill the bore; the solid elongated form of the ball by its inertia, and the excavation in the rear of its cylindrical portion contribute to this result, by the force of the powder acting upon them, and upon the indentations made in the rear by the projections.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The providing the upper part of the powder space, or chamber of fire arms, with angular or wedge shaped projections to be forced into the rear of the projectile in the act of loading as described.

2. Also the form of ball represented in my drawings, cylindrical at or near its middle portion, with a slight excavation or recess on the inner and under side of the cylindrical part; both ends of the ball to be conoidal or conical.

JOHN B. READ.

ll itnesses:

Enw. DONLIN, F. I. MURPHY. 

